Falling for the Charms of Villefranche-Sur-Mer

The Cote d’Azur in season merits its reputation for incredible congestion and extravagant prices in hotels and restaurants.

But travelers with a month to invest can explore this magnificent stretch of the Mediterranean at reasonable cost and without fighting the summer mob scene on the avenues and beaches and the gridlock on principal roads. In fact, a rental car is an unnecessary encumbrance.

From October through May, one can find apartments and condominiums easily at rentals far below hotel rates in many of the seafront cities and towns from Cannes to Menton. Many of the units belong to Britons, Parisians and other Europeans who spend only a fraction of the year on the Riviera and are eager for tenants not only for the income but also to maintain the homes and discourage burglary.

We prefer Villefranche-sur-Mer, a fishing town just east of Nice with a population of only 7,500. Villefranche has many advantages over the better-known and more costly off-season resorts.

Most Spectacular Bay

It commands a view of Cap Ferrat and the most spectacular bay along the entire Cote d’Azur. It is quiet in the off-season, but has excellent bus or train service to the more populous resorts of Nice and Cannes to the west and Monaco and Menton to the east.

From the main terminal in Nice, only 15 minutes from Villefranche by bus, there is frequent bus service to the perfume center of Grasse, the artists’ colony of St. Paul-de-Vence and other mountain towns and villages.

Off-season rents for two-bedroom apartments in Villefranche range from $1,000 to $1,500 a month, depending on location and the number of bathrooms. Similar rates apply in other small towns, where the units have the advantage of being within walking distance of shops, restaurants and bus and train services.

But the attractions of Villefranche can occupy visitors for several days before they succumb to the glamour of Monaco or Cannes. Villefranche, which dates from the 14th Century, is still an active fishing port. Adjoining the fishing piers is the ancient mariners’ chapel decorated by Cocteau.

Streets Are Quiet

The walls of a citadel, built in 1560 to repel invaders, now enclose an open-air theater and two museums, one exhibiting metal sculptures by Volti and the other a half century of European painting, including souvenir works of Picasso and Miro.

One of the greater charms of Villefranche is that it has not fallen victim to the high-rise construction that disfigures too many of the tourist centers along the Riviera.

Its streets are quiet in the off-season and the only area where one is likely to encounter other tourists is at the open-air shops and restaurants along the waterfront.

Because the harbor at Nice cannot accommodate larger ships, units of the American navy and cruise liners often drop anchor in the deep-water roadstead at Villefranche. But sailors and cruise passengers alike quickly disperse by bus to Nice or Monaco.

When France was still a member of NATO, Villefranche was a major fleet base for the U.S. Navy and, for that reason, today’s visitors need have no fear of their inability to speak French. It is the rare restaurateur or shopkeeper who doesn’t retain a grasp of English from the days when the streets were teeming with sailors on liberty.

Food at Various Sites

Another of the pleasures--and economies--of a monthlong visit is shopping for the kitchen. Villefranche has one mini-mart where one can stock up on staples. But for fresh foods you will find yourself going to one shop for vegetables, another for meats, another for fish and yet others for bread and pastries. And one of the happiest surprises you will encounter is the cordiality of shopkeepers once they discover that you’re a “regular.”

How to find an apartment along the Cote d’Azur? You can, of course, go through the many reputable agencies that advertise such rentals. But we prefer to be on the scene and to have a real estate agent show us several properties before choosing.

We have had good luck at Villefranche with Mme. Yolande Desaint of the Agence Dumas at 5 Ave. Albert, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.